coffin fly

noun

The scuttle fly, Megaselia scalaris, an omnivorous fly which eeds on plants (nectar) as well as carrion.

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Meanings

nouncoffin fly (plural coffin flies)

plural coffin flies

  1. The scuttle fly, Megaselia scalaris, an omnivorous fly which eeds on plants (nectar) as well as carrion.
  2. The fly Conicera tibialis, which feeds on carrion.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
scuttle fly

Origin

Both phorid flies are called "coffin flies" because they can be found in coffins, being able to detect buried corpses and crawl through soil to reach them.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

coffin fly. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/coffin%20fly

MLA

“coffin fly.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/coffin%20fly. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “coffin fly,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/coffin%20fly.

Source: coffin fly on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.